A 25-year-old woman advocate has alleged that she was assaulted inside the premises of the District Jail at Malampuzha in Palakkad by family members of a woman whose release from jail she had facilitated. She has also accused jail authorities of failing to intervene despite repeated requests for protection.

The complainant, Adv Maya Mayura, a member of the Palakkad Bar Association and a native of Parali, said the incident occurred on June 9 while she was completing the release formalities of a 26-year-old woman lodged in judicial custody.

According to Maya, the woman had been arrested in a case registered on a complaint filed by her mother, Latha, who alleged that her daughter, despite being married and undergoing divorce proceedings, was in a relationship with another man. The woman and the man were subsequently arrested and remanded to custody. "It was the grudge over my role in securing her release that led to the attack," Maya alleged.

Maya said she arrived at the jail around 5.30 pm along with a colleague and the woman's associates to submit the release memo. While she was waiting on the premises, an unidentified man allegedly approached her in an intimidating manner. She claimed the man appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and did not leave even after she questioned his behaviour.

She further alleged that while she was inside the jail completing the formalities, two tyres of the car she had arrived in were punctured. "Sensing a threat to our safety, we informed the jail authorities about the situation outside. Since we had no immediate means of leaving, we requested permission to remain inside the compound until another vehicle arrived from our office. However, despite repeatedly expressing our concerns, we were directed to move outside," Maya said.

According to her, jail staff informed them that anything occurring outside the jail premises would not be their responsibility.

The situation escalated when the released woman was about to leave the jail compound. Maya alleged that Latha, her brother Sujith and another man approached them and insisted that the woman accompany them. When she refused, an altercation broke out.

"The woman's relatives began threatening and assaulting her. When I intervened, Latha caught hold of my hand and twisted it, causing injury. Sujith then advanced towards me in an aggressive manner, verbally abused me and joined in the assault," Maya alleged.

She further claimed that the incident unfolded in the presence of jail officials. "It is deeply concerning that such an incident occurred within a jail compound, where safety and order are expected to be maintained. Despite witnessing the situation and our repeated requests for assistance, jail officials failed to take effective steps to prevent the confrontation," she said.

Maya alleged that around 10 jail officials gathered at the spot, but instead of intervening, they insisted that those involved leave the premises. She further claimed that one official plucked a stick from the garden area, pointed it towards them and directed them to take their disputes outside the jail compound.

"Rather than de-escalating the situation or ensuring the safety of those present, we were compelled to leave despite the obvious risk of violence," Maya added.

Maya said she subsequently contacted the Malampuzha police. According to her, the situation remained tense until police officers arrived at the scene. Based on her complaint, the Malampuzha police registered a case against the trio under Sections 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 296(b) (obscene acts and utterances), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) read with Section 3(5) (acts done by several persons in furtherance of a common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

She has also submitted complaints regarding the incident to the District Judge and the Advocate General, seeking action over the alleged lapses by jail authorities.